Metrics + Indicators for Impact

MIFI began in 2014 and was created by Professor Morales, PhD and Lauren Suerth, MS, who are the Principal Investigators on the project. MIFI is an online toolkit that helps farmers markets be able to create a holistic picture of their work by creating and analyzing data.

MIFI was piloted in seven different states and is now offered across the country to individual farmers markets and organizations of them. MIFI is currently in the development stages of being used in hospitals across Dane County, and will eventually spread to the state of Wisconsin and soon to Michigan, as well.

MIFI was originally funded by a USDA AFRI grant with the Farmers Market Coalition. MIFI is used as a subcontractor on many grants, most notably the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grants through the USDA.

The Community and Regional Food Systems Toolkit

The toolkit is based on a framework created in partnership with UW Madison, Growing Power in Milwaukee, and the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. It worked with community-based organizations in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. It was created as a resource for practitioners to implement and evaluate various initiatives, and was funded by the USDA and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Certified Market Manager Program

The lab is currently in the stages of creating this program through UW Extension. It will be an online and in-person course that prepares individuals for running a market through various lessons including financial aspects, marketing techniques, community partnerships, and more.

Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Program

Professor Morales is a regular participant and co-editor of the Program’s first book, Achieving Our Ambitions: Latina/o-owned Businesses in Socioeconomic Context. Purdue University Press, 2019.